6 Tips On How To Properly Train Your Dog
Original article spacecoastdaily.com
Having a dog is a lot more fun and exciting. Having a trained dog? That’s something else. There’s a reason why more and more people devote themselves to training their dogs and one of those is the fact that trained dogs are amazing to have and they really put the best in man’s best friend.
What does a trained dog mean? The misconception is that trained dogs are those that can do tricks. However, trained dogs can also be those who are disciplined and well-behaved.
Training a dog is not easy but with these tips, you could be looking at a well-behaved dog in the future.
Train With Love And Authority
You need to mix being stern and being warm with your dog. You need to be stern enough so that they listen to you but not stern enough that they would get scared.
The last thing you’d want is to spoil your dog so don’t be too warm and cuddly with them while training. Let them feel your authority and let them understand that your commands are to be followed.
Pick A Good Name
The path to a well-trained dog begins as you pick a good name for your dog. According to Pedigree, giving your dog a name with a strong-ending sound will make training much easier. A lot of people go for cutesy names but it’s best to go for those that are functional.
Some good names include Spike, Spot, Ginger, Dexter, and Scooby. You need to give a lot of emphasis on the last syllable. When your dog’s ears prop up when it hears its name, you know that you’ve given it a good one. This will help you train them better because it catches their attention more.
Controlling Unnecessary Barking
While barking is a dog’s way of alerting the owner of intruders, it can be a bit disruptive sometimes. Some owners want to control their dog’s unnecessary barking to maintain peace and quiet inside the house. How does one get to controlling what dogs do naturally?
Some people use shock collars. For instance, this list of good chihuahua bark collar brands will apply a small amount of shock to your pup if it gets too rowdy. Eventually, the dog will learn when and when it’s proper to bark through proper training. When getting a collar, make sure to get one that has better control over the voltage the dog gets.
Start Them Young
As the saying goes, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’ Of course, some dogs can still learn a few tricks even if they are a few years old already but it’s still much better to train dogs when they are at least a year old. Start them young but not too young.
It can be tough training a dog when it’s only 2-4 months old as they can be rowdy at this age and it can be hard to get their attention. From 5-24 months is the ideal time to train and discipline your dog. If your dog is old already, don’t give up hope as some dogs are still trainable despite their age.
Buy A Clicker
If you are training your dog to learn new tricks, a good way to get them acquainted to the actions easily is by buying a clicker. This is a small device that makes a sound when pressed. Dogs can react well to sound so clickers can work through association.
Basically, you give a dog an action. Once you do, press on the clicker. Through repetition, your dog will associate the clicking sound with the trick he’s tasked with doing. On deeper levels, you remove the click and replace it with verbal commands.
Consider Obedience School
When all else fails and you’re struggling with training, it might be time to consider enrolling your dog in an obedience school. An obedience school is basically a professional setting where your dog will be trained by a professional handler. At the end of school, your dog even gets a certificate!
What’s great about obedience school is that your dog will take it along with other dogs. This will be a good way to get them to start socializing with others as well. A lot of fur parents have met success with obedience school so it might be wise to consider this as well.
Training your dog can be tough and frustrating at first but be patient with your best friend. They’ll eventually get the hang of it and what you get in return is a dog that’s very easy to manage.